Canada's Health Minister Proposes Changes to Food Nutrition Labels

EDMONTON (CNW) — Today, the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, launched a series of online public consultations on proposed changes that will improve the way nutrition information is presented on labels.

The proposed changes are to the format of the Nutrition Facts table, the list of ingredients, the list of nutrients that must appear in the table, and to the Daily Values.

It also includes changing how ingredients are listed, including grouping sugars together, so parents and consumers have a clearer picture of how much sugar is added to the food and the label is easier to read.

Finally, another key proposal is to provide guidelines to industry to make the serving sizes displayed in the Nutrition Facts table more consistent among similar products.

The overall goal of the proposed changes is to provide Canadians with the nutrition information they need to make informed decisions about the foods they buy and prepare for themselves and their families.

These consultations are part of a broader commitment made by the Government of Canada during the 2013 Speech from the Throne to consult with Canadians on how to improve the way nutrition information is presented on food labels.

The consultations will run for 60 days, from July 14 to September 11, 2014.

Quick Facts

The proposed label changes reflect feedback received by Health Canada from parents and consumers during round table sessions and an online consultation in the winter 2014.

Canada is a world leader in the field of nutrition labelling and was one of the first countries to require mandatory nutrition labelling on pre-packaged foods.

The results of this current series of consultations will help inform the decisions about changes to nutrition labelling.